The Birds meets The Princess Bride in this tale of the power of community, of human connection, and of hope. “Murder owls are extreme,” Jude said. “What’s more extreme than murder owls?” Madigan Purdy is trapped in her hometown library. When tens of thousands of owls descend on the building, rending and tearing at anyone who dares to step outside, Mad is tasked with keeping her students safe, and distracted, while they seek a solution to their dilemma. Perhaps they’ll find inspiration in her favorite childhood book, The Silent Queen. With food and water in low supply, the denizens of the library will have to find a way out, and soon, but the owls don’t seem to be in a hurry to leave. The Parliament is a story of courage in the face of trauma and our own powerlessness. And of extremely sharp beaks. |
Praise and Reviews
"The Parliament is a masterful piece of storytelling." --Alexandra Pierce, Locus Magazine
"Pokwatka manages to tell two remarkably compelling, detailed stories. Both are in completely different genres, and both could easily stand on their own, but Pokwatka renders them inseparable. Queen Alala might as well be in that library herself, or Mad could be out questing to find her voice. This master class of intelligent and beautiful writing transforms The Parliament from simply a tale of murderous animals into the kind of captivating novel that comes along all too rarely." —Noah Fram, BookPage, Starred Review
“Must-read fantasy for readers who appreciate the catharsis of horror; perfect for fans of Whalefall by Daniel Kraus and Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison." —Matthew Galloway, Library Journal, Starred Review
"Pokwatka manages both a unique exploration of the effects of trauma, especially on children, and a thoroughly moving portrayal of the power of solidarity in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, combined with a healthy dose of rage at the lack of care and effort on the part of the government to combat gun violence. The result is a suspenseful and gripping argument for change." —Publishers Weekly
"This is a tense rendering of an incomprehensibly strange situation in which nobody on the outside seems to care enough to
help, and survival is only the first challenge—there’s also living afterward." --Regina Schroeder, Booklist
"The Parliament is a masterful piece of storytelling." --Alexandra Pierce, Locus Magazine
"Pokwatka manages to tell two remarkably compelling, detailed stories. Both are in completely different genres, and both could easily stand on their own, but Pokwatka renders them inseparable. Queen Alala might as well be in that library herself, or Mad could be out questing to find her voice. This master class of intelligent and beautiful writing transforms The Parliament from simply a tale of murderous animals into the kind of captivating novel that comes along all too rarely." —Noah Fram, BookPage, Starred Review
“Must-read fantasy for readers who appreciate the catharsis of horror; perfect for fans of Whalefall by Daniel Kraus and Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison." —Matthew Galloway, Library Journal, Starred Review
"Pokwatka manages both a unique exploration of the effects of trauma, especially on children, and a thoroughly moving portrayal of the power of solidarity in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, combined with a healthy dose of rage at the lack of care and effort on the part of the government to combat gun violence. The result is a suspenseful and gripping argument for change." —Publishers Weekly
"This is a tense rendering of an incomprehensibly strange situation in which nobody on the outside seems to care enough to
help, and survival is only the first challenge—there’s also living afterward." --Regina Schroeder, Booklist